Global news agency Reuters reported that Hubei, a central province that is home to some 60 million people, had announced on Tuesday that it was ending lockdown and lifting the travel restrictions.
The Hubei government on Wednesday told workers who had been quarantined at home to go back to work as soon as possible. On the same day’s evening in Xiangang, residents strolled outside, carrying groceries or buying takeaway. Restaurants were only serving food for takeaways, with their loudspeakers announcing promotions like buy one get one free.
Hubei Party Secretary Ying Yong said the government would continue to work hard to prevent a rebound in infections as population movements increase. Even as the lockdown in Hubei is eased, strict measures to control infections from abroad continue to be put in place.
The lockdown of Hubei’s capital Wuhan will be lifted on April 8, a milestone in China’s war against the epidemic as Beijing shifts its focus towards stemming imported cases and rebooting the economy.